


Nightshift

by alezander



Category: Original Work
Genre: Convenience Stores, M/M, Police, Summer break, thugs - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 20:03:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15870777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alezander/pseuds/alezander
Summary: This was supposed to be my entry for YaoiOtaku's monthly BL Writing Contest for the month of August with the theme "End of Summer Break". I finished this piece a day after the contest was locked to I didn't make it. I guess I was having trouble with how to end it. I wanted to write a longer narrative considering the subject but with the word limit of 400 to 600 words, I had to write this carefully. Funnily, I ended up still going over the limit.





	Nightshift

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be my entry for YaoiOtaku's monthly BL Writing Contest for the month of August with the theme "End of Summer Break". I finished this piece a day after the contest was locked to I didn't make it. I guess I was having trouble with how to end it. I wanted to write a longer narrative considering the subject but with the word limit of 400 to 600 words, I had to write this carefully. Funnily, I ended up still going over the limit.

Our eyes met often, way before I even noticed. He'd enter the shop with an air of nonchalance that made him invisible to others. He'd walk all the way to the back, grab something, then pay for it. Premium black milk tea. I could tell he loved it since I could smell the bittersweetness of milk and rotten leaves coming off him. I thought it was a fitting scent for a guy like him who had dark circles around his eyes and skin as pale as ash.

I had come over to my grandma's place to work part-time at a convenience store. I took the day shift, from seven in the morning to three in the afternoon. I liked getting my skin bathed in sunlight after working in the air-conditioned shop. He'd always come by a little after lunch, when the shop had little to no people, so I could not help but notice him. Whenever he came up to the counter, he'd always look like he wanted to tell me something. He'd open his mouth, press it shut, then look away. I thought he was cute, even when he was a giant that was about a foot taller than I was.

The first time he spoke to me, he reeked of alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot red. I was honestly alarmed but when he told me with a voice smaller than a child's that my apron looked nice, my heart raced out of my chest. I realized that all along I was crushing on this customer whom I know nothing about. He did not come by for a few days after that but when he did, he had had his hair buzzed and his eye circles were worse. He looked thinner as well and he only bought a pack of cigarettes. I could tell that he hated them because he kept crinkling his nose. He looked to be in pain, so I asked him if there was anything I could do to help, even if it meant I was prying.

"You shouldn't get involved with me."

He said. I remember it clearly because he looked me properly in the eye.

_What did he mean?_

I wasn't sure until a few days after, when summer break was nearly over and I had to quit my job. I wanted to see him one last time so I asked my manager to let me work the whole day, including the night shift. I did see him, and for a moment I was glad, but two people came after him and were pushing him to the front.

_Go on._

He saw me and he looked panicked. I panicked too, because I realized what was about to happen. Protocol taught me to give them the money and call for police afterwards, but then he'd be caught along with them so I...

_You took matters into your own hands._

He didn't do anything. It was all my fault! He's innocent, I promise...

_But he confessed to murdering two men to help you._

I...

_He was their accomplice._

I could vaguely remember the way those guys laughed at him when they lay soaked in their own blood. Now you're one of us, they said. Didn't know you hooked up with Cinderella here, they said. That was the last time they spoke. When I looked into his eyes, they were still the same tired ones I fell in love with. The blade fell to the tiled floor. He stepped towards me and kissed my cheek, my face smeared with blood. I could still smell the milk off him and knew I would never forget the gentleness of his lips that day.

_You had one hell of a summer break._

Yes. Yes I did.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote Nightshift while listening to a bunch of songs but what really got me going was Ohayo!'s song titled "Nightshift" which I stumbled across in Soundcloud. Try listening to it, the beat is so good. I also just finished watching Osomatsu-san 2nd Season when I wrote this so the premium black milktea guy has the image of Ichimatsu in my head. Anyone a fan of the anime here? Whew. I tattle a lot, don't I? Have a nice day!


End file.
